Apparatus for making pattern mirrors and other coatings



Nov. 9, 1948. w. MORGAN APPARATUS FOR MAKING PATTERN MIRRORS AND OTHER COATINGS Filed June 9. 1944 I III I Ill. .1.

' IN VEN TOR. 6 Willard L. Morgan. B

ATTQRNEYS Pmnaa Nov. 9, 194a uivrrao STATE-S PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MAKING PATTERN MIRRORS AND OTHER COATINGS Willard L. Moi-mi, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 9, 1944, Serial No. 539,530

Claims. (Cl. 91-123) The present invention relates to apparatus for making pattern mirrors and other coatings.

pattern mirrors and other coated articles in which a portion or portions of a suitable piece of support material, such as glass or other siliceous material,,plastlc, metal, paper, or the like, are provided with a mirrored surface or other coating which preferably surrounds or frames a clear, transparent, or non-mirrored portion or area which may be of varied design. More par ticularly, the invention has to do with the pro-- of a suitable material, preferably in the presence of a vacuum.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for producing a plurality of pattern mirrors or pattern articles simultaneously.

Another object of theinvention is to provide improved means for supporting a workpiece in upright position within a vacuumlzed chamber and for supporting block-out pieces, plates or stencils on theouter face of the workpiece during the deposition of the reflective or other coating onthe workpiece to provide clearor uncoated areas in the workpiece.

A further object of the invention is to provide magnetic means for supporting a block-out piece, plate or stencil, or a plurality of such pieces, in improved manner upon the outer surface or face of the workpiece during'the coating operation.

'Another object of the invention is to provide an improved workpiece-supporting frame for use in connection with an apparatus for producing pattern mirrors and pattern coated articles.

A further object of the invention is to providea workpiece-supporting frame of improved nature which is. relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple in construction, and one to which the workpiece may be applied and removed therefrom with ease and facility; another object of the invention being to provide improved means whereby the block-out pieces, plates or stencils may be quickly and accurately applied tothe It has to do particularly with the production of face of the workpiece inpredetermined positions and remain in such positions during the coatih'g' operation, said pieces being easily and quickly removable from the face of the workpiece when desired.

The above and other objects and advantages of thein'vention will be apparent from the following description and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate cor-' responding parts in the several views. In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a P rspective view,partly broken away. showing a workpiece-supporting frame embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the frame shown in Fig. '1. r Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one type or form of permanent magnet adapted to be used with the frame of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of an appa ratu's embodying the present invention. p Fig. 5 is a front elevational view oifla" pattern mirror produced in accordance with the prEent invention.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 sittings somewhat diflerent type of pattern m'irr'or produced in accordance with the invention.-

Fig. 'l is a front elevational View of a plate, or mask embodying the present iri'v Before explaining in detail the present tion it is to be understoodthatthe invention is not limited in its applicationto the ,detaiis'of construction and arrangement of parts illu's trated in the accompanying drawings, since t invention is capable of other embodiment of. being practiced or carriedout in various w Also, it is tobe understood that the phraseol gr or terminology employed herein, is for the pose of description and not of limitation, is not intended to limit the invention h claimedbeyond the requirements of the pr or art- Generally speaking, the present invention has to do with the production of pattern mirrors and pattern coated articles. It has :to do" with apparatus for producing such mirrors and coated articles in which aworkpiece is adapted to be supported in upright position within a vacuum chamber and to havesupported upon its outer face or surface in predetermined positions'or arrangement a block-out piece, plate or stencil, or a plurality of such pieces, which are positively held in their proper positions during the depoaaoassa sition of a suitable material upon the face or surface of the workpiece or workpieces, such deposition resulting from the thermal evaporation or cathodic sputtering of the material, to produce pattern mirrors and pattern coated articles. each of which has a clear, transparent or non-coated area which is preferably surrounded or framed by a coated area or areas, such as a mirrored or reflective area or areas. The coatings em-' photo-electric articles.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 4 thereof, there is shown in this figure a suitable apparatus embodying the present invention. The apparatus, as shown, comprises a supporting base is to which is applied a housing or bell-like casing II which, together with the base, provides-a chamber from which the air may upon the base II. A suitable exhaust pipe or conduit I2 is provided and is in communication with suitable pumps (not shown) for evacuating air from within the chamber to create a vacuum in said chamber. Located within the chamber and preferably adjacent to one of the side walls of the housing II, is a workpiece-supporting frame or case shown as a whole at M. This frame or member 14 is shown in greater detail in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. As shown, it comprises a substantially rectangular upright frame whichincludes a back wall l5, upright side walls I. and top and bottom walls l1. Suitable guide strips I! are preferably secured to the forward edges of the side walls ii to provide a space for receiving and supporting a removable workpiece 20 which, when in position, overlies and closes the forward open portion is of the frame.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the back wall l5 supports a plurality of horseshoe type permanent-magnets -2l which are held in position upon the inner face of the wall .by bolts or screws 22. As shown, the magnets 2| are arranged in vertical and horizontal rows. It will be understood. however, that any desired number of magnets 2l=-may be employed and that they may be ar- ..ranged in any suitable manner, as desired. 1 It is to be noted that-the outer face or surface of the workpiece 20 has applied thereto a plusaiity or series of block-out pieces, plates or *stencils 23, one .-being provided for each of the #magnets 2| so that the magnet will attract the corresponding'piece 23 and maintain it in proper position upon the face of the workpiece 20. The

workpiece may be formed from glass or other :suitable material and the block-out pieces or axstencils 22 may be formed from any suitable material which will be attracted by the magnets 21-; these block-out pieces. being preferably formedfrom relatively thin iron sheet metal.

While I have shown a workpiece 20 in the form of a single sheet or plate, it is to be under- --stoodthat any number of workpieces may be supported by the frame ll.

' If desired, relatively flat plate-like permanent ,cnagnets may be employed in lieu of the horseshoe magnets 2l. In Fig. 3 there is shown one such permanent magnet 24 having a securing screw or bolt 25.

Moreover, if desiredfthe back wall or board ii of the workpiece-supporting frame may be pro-' vided with a series or plurality of electromasnets it, such as those shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Each of these magnets will be electrically connected to a source of electric current supplied thereto by a wire or cable 2?.

As explained above, the workpiece-supporting frame or case is located within the chamber of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4. This supporting frame may be formed from any suitable nonconducting material, such as wood. It workpiece or a plurality of suchworkpieces ls slid into position between the guide strips is of the frame after which any desired number of the block-outpieces or stencils so may be applied to the face thereof in any desired arrangement. The houslog II is then applied to-the-base it and the chamber evacuated of air through the outlet or exhaust pipe l3 and a vacuum created within the chamber. Thereafter, an evaporating source or unit, such as the unit shown as a whole at 2| in Fig. 4, is electrically energized to heat the coil or filament 28 thereof to which has been previously applied some suitable material, such as aluminum or other metal, to be thermally evaporated. As the metal on the coil or filament 2a is evaporated. molecules or particles thereof are thrown onto the face of the workpiece 28 to provide a reflective coating or surface, such as the coating or surface 36 of Fig. 5. By reason of the fact that the workpiece has portions thereof blocked out by the members 23, areas of the workpiece will remain uncoatecl by the reflective material to produce, in the case of the cross-like block-out pieces 23, a similarly shaped clear, transparent and non-reflective area or portion, such as the portion at of Fig. 5. It is to be understood that after the coating operation has been performed in the apparatus of Fig. 4 and the vacuum chamber opened, the workpiece is removed from the frame, whereupon the stencil members 28 are removed from the workpiece to leave the clear, transparent and uncoated portions or areas 3| each of which is surrounded or framed by the reflective area or coating to. To produce individual mirrors such as that shown in Fig. 5, the coated workpiece 20, which may be a glass plate, is out along the broken lines 32 shown in Fig, 1 to produce the rectangular'indivld'ual pat- .tern mirror or mirrors of Fig. 5.

It is desirable to produce a pattern mirror such as that shown in Fig. 6, the stencils such as the stencils 23, may be in the form of annular disks in which case a pattern mirror having a reflective surface coating 33 and a round or circular clear or transparent area M, will be produced. As in the form of Fig. the pattern mirror of Fig. 6, as shown, has a central clear area 24 which is surrounded or framed by the reflective coating or area 33.

It will be understood, of course, that block-out pieces, plates or stencils of any desired shape may be employed dependent upon the type or design of pattern mirror which is to be produced, the stencil corresponding in shape to thedesired shape of the clear and transparent portion or area of the mirror. See, for example, the blockout piece, plate, or stencil illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings, wherein the body portion 8|, shown merely by way of illustration as of rectangular shape, is provided with a perforate portion 28.

Obviously, within the vacuum chamber'the pattern m rrors may equally readily-be produced electro-magnets.

a manac I employing my stencil holding and support'material holding equipment by cathodic sputtering of metal with a high voltage between electrodes (not shown) in the well known manner.

I her if coatings having other characteris= ties are desired, such as low reflection coatings, there may be thermally evaporated from the energized and heated filament 29 within the high vacuum any suitable material, such as magnesium fluoride desirable when producing patterned low reflection coatings, employing the stencils and holding magnets as just described.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided improved apparatus for producing simultaneously a plurality of pattern mirrors or pattern coated articles of any desired size or design in which the pattern mirror or article consists of a clear or transparent area and-a coated or reflective area or areas, said coated areas being preferably produced by a process of coating by deposition resulting from the thermal evaporation or sputtering of some suitable material within a vacuumized chamber.

mined positions on said front face, said last-- named means comprising a plurality of permanent magnets.

2. An apparatus according to claiml wherein said last-named means comprises a plurality of 3. A workpiece-supporting frame for use in an apparatus for producing pattern mirrors, comfront, guide means associated with the open front for guiding theledges of a workpiece into position and for removably supporting the same in upright position, a plurality of separate thin 5 metallic plates engaging the outer face of said workpiece, and means adjacent the inner face of the workpiece for maintaining said plates in predetermined positions on said outer face.

4. A workpiece-supporting frame for use in an apparatus for producing pattern mirrors, comprising a back, side and end walls and an open front, guide means associated with the open front for guiding the edges of a workpieceinto position and for removably supporting the same in 5 upright position, a plurality of separate thin metallic magnetic plates engaging the'outer face of said workpiece, and a plurality of magnets ad- Jacent the inner face of the workpiece for maintaining said metallic plates in predetermined po- 2 sitions on said outer face.

5. A workpiece-supporting frame according to claim 4 wherein the magnets are supported by the back of said frame.

- WILLARD L. MORGAN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 229,366- Breeding June 29, 1880 1,547,945 Mustapich July 28, 1925 1,915,631 Truba et al." June 27, 1933 2,123,706 Biggs July 12, 1938 2,239,452 Williams et al. Apr. 22, 1941 2,239,770 Becker et a1. Apr. 29, 1941 2,295,759 Scheer Sept. 15, 1942 2,337,329 Hewlett Dec. 21, 1943 40 OTHER REFERENCES Ser. No. 233,455., Bershans et al. (A. 1?. c.) pub. May 4, 194a. t w 

